Exhaust-box



A. R. THOMPSON.

EXHAUST BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR.30,1919.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET A TTORNEYJ.

A. R. THOMPSON.

EXHAUST BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR.30. I919.

1,387,629. Patented g- 16,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS: I N V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

A. R. THOMPSON.

EXHAUST BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR-30. I919.

INVENTOR /IGK rflfl'lfllfll'lllllll! 1llIIl/llll IIIIII !IIIIIIIIII"I"I SSHEETS-SHEET 3.

' wf'fllfir Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

J/gut 0 A TTORNE YS ALBERT R. THOMPSON, BARNGROVER MFG. CALIFORNIA.

OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ANDERSON- CO., OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF EXHAUST-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

Application filed April 30, 1919. Serial No. 293,588.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT R. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exhaust- Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to exhaust-boxes, used in the canning art to preliminarily heat the filled, but still unsealed cans, in order to expel the air prior to sealing and subjection to the final cook.

Improvements in exhaust-boxes may be said, in general either to concern the path of travel of the cans, in which are embraced its course, its structure and its can carrying and advancing means; or to relate to the heating medium and the manner and means of applying it.

Concerning the latter line of improvement, with which my present invention is mainly concerned, steam has come, in practice, to be favored and this has been ap plied in some cases by admitting it directly into the treating chamber, or conveying it through said chamber in closed pipes using it as radiated heat. What may be termed the retort method is also known, namely, that in which a closed steam shell or casing envelops or contains the treating chamber. and applies its heat through the conducting walls thereof. This form of heat application has its advantages, particularly when commodities are treated which will suffer by direct contact with moisture, or when very open cans are used which expose their contents too freely. But with other commodities. or when cans are used with heads lightly clenched for the exhaust treatment and subject to full closure thereafter and prior to the final cook, I have found it of advantage to combine with the radiated heat from the enveloping steam retort, the heat of live steam admitted directly to and dis tributed within the treating chamber. In this combination my present invention chiefly consists, and by it I am enabled to materially increase the treating temperature, and by a proper regulation of the live steam thus admitted directly to the treating chamber I can control and modify the temperature therein at will.

My invention also consists in novel features of construction embodying an efficient and practical exhaust-box having the before mentioned improved heating means, as I shall now fully describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my exhaust-box.

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation, enlarged, of the same.

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation.

ig. 4 is a sectional view, enlarged, of one end of the box, showing the packing connection between the concentric pipes, forming the closures for the steam jacket.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the conveyor.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same.

I have, for the sake of simplicity, herein shown my improved exhaust-box, as comprising in its path of travel a single, straight run, though it is to be understood that this path may be modified or altered to any course or customary form of can path, my invention being equally applicable to all such forms. I have also shown, for a simple form, the treating chamber and the euveloping steam jacket or retort, as cylindrical in erosssection, and composed of concentric spaced steel pipes or casings, but it is to be understood that these shapes are un essential, except in so far as they enable me to claim some specific detail resulting from this construction.

1 is the frame or stand of the device. Upon this is carried the steam jacket pipe 2, within and spaced from which is the treating chamber pipe 3. The space between the pipes forms the steam jacket 4 and the interior of the pipe 3 forms the treating or exhaust chamber 5.

The pipes 2 and 3 are metallic and in order to provide for differences in expansion and contraction, due to difference in exposure, there is. between the pipes at each 7 is seated, and said packing is held in place by a. gland ring 8, the lugs 9 of which receive screw studs 10 fitted with 'nuts 11. These packings also form suitably tight end closures for the steam jacket 4.

Within the inner pipe and extending through it is the track 12 for the'endless conveyor 13, which is best formed, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, of a series of articulated flat topped plates of standard or common end a spacing ring 6, against which packing construction, presenting a continuous flat surface chain for the cans to rest upon, and to permit said cans without danger of obstruction to be pushed from the preceding head applying clencher machine, on to the,

conveyer surface as it enters the pipe, and to be slipped therefrom to the closing machine as it leaves the pipe.

. The conveyor 13 on its lower or return course,.dips down into and again emerges from an underlying pan 14: carried by the frame 1. In this pan a cleansing liquid, such as lye is carried, the conveyer passing through this lye whereby said conveyer is cleansed.

The steam jacket space4 is supplied with steam, through an inletlconnection 15, and the condensation is taken care of by a trap 16.

Within the inner pipe, and extending through it above the can path, is a vpipe 17, preferably two pipes, as here shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Each pipe 17 is perforated throughout its length, and is closed or capped at one end. At its other end it has a controllable connection with any source of steam. In the practical form of the device, as here shown, this source is the steam jacket space 4, the connection being made by a pipe 18 with branches 19 to the two pipes 17 In the pi e 18 is a valve 20, as seenin Fig. 1, by WhlCll the admission of steam to the pipes 17 is controlled. I

21, Fig. 2, is the driving sprocket for the chain conveyer13, and 21, Fig. 3. is the other terminal sprocket. The driving sprocket is driven by a gear train inclosed in a housing 22, Fig. 2, said train being operated by a pulley 23.

24 in Fig. 1 is a take-up for the conveyer chain. '25 in Fig. 2 is a clutch lever for the drivingmechanism. 26 in Figs. 2 and 3 are tie-bolts holding the retort pipe 2 to the frame 1. y

The operation of the exhaust-boa is as follows :Thecans are fed by the clencher machine, which lightly fits their heads,v to and upon the conveyer 13, as the latter enters the receiving open end of the treat ing chamber pipe 3; and after passing through said chamber from end to end. the

cans are taken off the conveyer by the head closing machine.

WVhile passing through the chamber, the

cans are subjected to the necessary heat.

This heat is primarily derived from the steam-under pressure in the jacket space at by radlation through the inner pipe walls.

In some cases, this alone may be 'su'llicient,

in which case, by shutting off the valve 20, no live steam is admitted to the chamber. But when required, the valve 20 is opened and the-steam from the jacket space 4: is admitted through theperforated pipe 17, directly into and-distributed through the chamber 5; and by manipulating said valve,

always used to supplement the effect of the amount of steam thus admitted, is always under control. .Vhen relativelylngh temperature is necessary, the live steam is the radiated heat from the steam jacket. In

practice, I find thatby turning into the jacket the boiler pressure, and by throttle regulation of the live steam turned into the chamber 5 through the pipes 17, thetenr' peraturein the treating chamber may be raised from, say 220 degrees Fahr. to 270 degrees, due probably to superheating the live steam. This increase in temperature being under control, enables the operator to select such degree of heat as he may require for the particular goods being run.

I claim 1- 1. An exhaust box comprising concentric spaced metallic pipes, means for admitting steam to the space between the pipes, a perforated pipe communicating with the space between the first-mentionedpipes and extending through the length of the inner pipe, means in said perforated pipe forcontrolling the passage of steam therethrough,

and means for conveying cans through theinner pipe. 7

2. An exhaust boX comprising concentric spaced metallic pipes, means for admitting steam to the space between the pipes, a perforated pipe communicating with the space between the first-mentioned pipes and extending through the lengthof .the inner pipe, the aperturesin said pipe being directed, away from the wall of the inner spaced pipe, means in said perforated pipe forcontrolling the passage of steam therethrough, and means for conveying cans through the inner pipe.

3..An exhaust box comprising an outer imperforate pipe. an inner 'imperforat'e pipe oxtendingthrough and spaced from the in- .ner wall oftheouter pipe, means for admitting steanr to the space between the pipes, a perforated pipe communicatmg .with the space between the imperforate pipes and extending through the length of the lnner plpe, a valve carried by the perforated pipe for regulating the passage of steam.therethrough, andmea-ns for conveying cans through theinner pipe.

4. An exhaust box comprising concentric spaced metallic pipes, a track extending through the inner pi 3e,'a conveyer. carried by the track, means foradmitting steam to charging steam into the inner pipe, and means for conveying cans through the inner pipe, said conveying means comprising an endless conveyer the upper flight of which passes through the inner pipe and the lower flight of which passes through a pan containing a cleansing fluid.

6. An exhaust box comprising concentric spaced pipes, a spacing ring received in the space between the pipes, adiacent each end, a sectional packing engaging each spacing ring, a gland engaging the opposite edges of each packing, means for sliding the glands to separate the sections of the packing, to tightly engage the faces of the pipes, means for admitting steam to the space between the pipes between the spacing rings, and means for conveying cans through the inner pipe. i

7. An exhaust box comprising concentric spaced pipes, a spacing ring received in the space between the pipes, adjacent each end, the outer edge of each ring being beveled, a sectional packing engaging the beveled edge of each spacing ring, a gland engaging the opposite edges of each packing, the inner edge of each gland being beveled, means for sliding the gland to separate the sections of the packing, the beveled edges of the rings and glands engaging between the sections of the packings, means for admitting steam to the space between the pipes between the spacing rings, and means for conveying cans through the inner pipe.

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT R. THOMPSON.

\Vitnesses:

WM. F. BOOTH, D. B. RICHARDS.

signed my 

